Bahrain Sentences 3 for Spying, Reportedly for Iran

A Bahraini criminal court has sentenced three people to
prison for spying - foreign news reports say the spying was on behalf of Iran.

A scene from anti-government protests in Bahrain (June 2011)

The state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA)) reported Tuesday that
one Bahraini and two foreigners were given 10-year sentences and fined for
collecting information on military and economic facilities. It said the two
foreigners live in Kuwait and were sentenced in absentia.

The Bahrain report said the three men passed "intelligence information" to a
foreign country, which it did not specify. Other news organizations said the
convictions related to passing information to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

In a separate development, a U.S.-based rights group has accused Bahrain of
carrying out a "vindictive campaign of violent repression" against its citizens.

Human Rights Watch
says it has evidence of widespread arbitrary arrests, unfair trials and the
torture of citizens who have taken part in anti-government protests.

The kingdom's Shi'ite majority began protests in mid-February to demand more
representation in the Sunni-led government and a new constitution.

Bahrain says 24 people were killed during a wave of opposition protests in
February and March. Security forces cracked down on the protest movement with
the help of troops from neighboring Gulf states.

Bahrain's Sunni rulers and opposition leaders this week began a national
dialogue on the reform demands made by the protesters.

The Bahrain News Agency says the talks, which got under way on Tuesday,
represent a "crucial stage" in the path to democracy.